Meet Me at Taylor Park (17 page)

*

Later that night, back in Vancouver, Brandon was at the bar at Marine Pub. Two empty glasses stood in front of him.

While he was drowning in alcohol, he was thinking about his fight with Katie. She had told him that she did not love him anymore. That, he did not believe. She had met him at Taylor Park. She would not have come if there were not any feelings there. She was hurt that he had hurt her with another girl one day after they had broken up. But, he had no feelings for her. He had hired Liz to make Katie jealous, so that she would see what she was missing and stay with him.

And she had called him selfish because he had refused to go to New York with her.

But I’m not selfish, he thought. And I need some way to prove that to Katie.

“Harry!” he called out to the bartender. Harry, a thin, gaunt middle-aged man with a receding hairline, walked toward him from behind the counter.

“Another vodka, please!” Brandon banged one of the empty glasses on the counter.

Harry scrutinized Brandon. “Are you driving tonight?”

“I want another vodka!” Brandon felt his face getting warm and red.

“I can’t give you another vodka if you’re going to be driving later tonight.”

“It’s only my third one,” Brandon protested.

Harry shook his head.

Brandon slammed his hands onto the counter. “Give me another god damn vodka.” His voice was low but powerful.

For a while, no one said anything. They listened to the country music blaring from the jukebox, and bits of conversations from other patrons. Brandon thought he caught the words
crazy
and
stupid
.

Brandon curled his hands into fists and raised them high in the air. Just as he was going to sock the bartender, he felt soft hands grab his hands and lower them.

He turned around and recognized Liz, a woman his age.

She had long straight blond hair, wide blue eyes and a somber face. Liz gestured apologetically to the bartender. “Please excuse my friend here. He’s obviously had too much to drink and doesn’t know what he’s doing.”

Harry shrugged. “It’s fine. Just make sure he doesn’t drive tonight.” He turned around and went about serving other customers.

Liz sat down on the barstool next to Brandon. “Have you been drinking?” She leaned in and inhaled. A powerful vodka scent engulfed her nostrils. “Oh God. You have.” She made a face and pulled back. “I thought you weren’t a big drinker.”

“I’m not,” he said. “I’ve only had two.”

“But you’re a lightweight. You get drunk after two.”

As he took in this beautiful blonde, he replayed in his mind how he knew her. He remembered he had hired her to make Katie jealous. He remembered sitting on the sidewalk by the school crying, the day after Katie left.

He remembered wanting to kill himself. He remembered sobbing uncontrollably. And he remembered soft hands on his skin. He looked up and saw Liz’s worried face.

“Are you OK?” she asked.

He nodded.

“It’s that girl, isn’t it?”

He nodded again.

She sat down next to him. “She must have meant a lot to you.”

Brandon looked at her curiously. “I thought you were only interested in money.”

He thought he might have offended her, but she merely chuckled. “I’m not what you think I am.” She leaned in and looked him in the eyes. “You might be surprised to know that I actually care about people.”

She put a hand on his knees, and he let her. It was not that he really liked her. He just wanted some feminine love and comfort after Katie. But he hated to think of Liz as a rebound though.

Brandon sat still. “Why me? I thought I was just a customer.”

Liz smiled, revealing beautiful ivory white teeth. “I like the way you kissed me.”

She moved her hands up to his thighs and stroked them. He was reminded of how he would touch Katie.

At the thought of Katie, Brandon instinctively moved away from Liz. “I’m sorry.” He took a good long look at her. Her blue eyes were understanding. “I think you’re really pretty and all, but I can’t. My heart’s with Katie.” His voice was soft.

Liz nodded. “I understand, but where is she now?”

Brandon almost could not get the words out. “She went to New York to chase her dreams.”

“So she abandoned you here?” She crossed her arms.

“I wouldn’t say abandoned.”

“I would. She had a good thing going with you, but chose to leave you to go to some far away city all by herself.”

Liz put a hand on Brandon’s knees again. “Her loss.”

She looked at him in a lascivious way and Brandon stared back. The sunlight shone down on her glossy blonde hair.

She was disarming. And he needed someone’s shoulder to cry on.

Liz trailed her hands along his knees, and then massaged his shoulders. Brandon pulled away. “I’m sorry. I can’t.”

“You can,” she insisted. “Why mourn over someone who’s not in your life anymore? That’s like crying over spilled milk.”

Liz batted her eyelashes at him. “Why not move on? Why not focus your attention on something that’s actually here?”

She did not point to herself, but Brandon knew whom she meant.

Before he could decide what to do, she took his hand and rubbed it. Her hand was nice and warm. Brandon felt his resistance melt away.

Katie must be thousands of miles away by now, he thought. But I still want her.

Liz squeezed his hand tighter, and he felt himself letting go of Katie, for the time being, at least.

He remembered that he and Liz became an on-and-off couple soon after that.

Back in the bar, Liz was tapping him on the shoulder. “Hello? Did you hear what I just said?”

Brandon was brought back to the bar. The smell of soggy cigarettes drifted through the air. She looked at him expectedly.

He had no idea what she had said. “What’d you say?”

“It’s Katie, isn’t it? She’s back in your life, isn’t she?”

Brandon did not confirm it, but he did not deny it.

Liz sighed, and crossed her arms. “What happened? You wanted her back but she pushed you away?”

He looked at her with sad eyes. “More or less.”

Liz put a hand on his lap. “I don’t understand why you won’t let her go. She deserted you here. She didn’t even contact you for years. And now she comes flitting back into your life and you drop everything just for a chance to be with her.” The sourness in her voice was palpable.

Brandon looked at Liz wearily, but did not say anything. He moved his lap away, and her hand clutched air.

Liz flipped her blonde hair back, and then grabbed onto Brandon’s hands. “What you and

I had was real.” She looked like she was pleading with him. “And I would never abandon you.”

Brandon shook his hand loose from her grip. “Liz, it’s over. I don’t feel the same way anymore.”

Liz crossed her arms, her face pouty. “You did before. Was I just a rebound?”

Brandon did not want to be a jerk, so he remained silent.

She waited, just staring at him.

Brandon let out a long breath. “I don’t think I ever did.”

Liz glared at him, and then got up and stormed over to the far side of the bar. She waved at Harry. “Harry! Give me some vodka.”

He stared at Liz from far away. He knew exactly how she felt.

Liz ordered vodka, and downed it, and then ordered another one, and downed that one.

Brandon watched as she ordered three more, and chugged all three.

When she ordered a sixth, Brandon grew alarmed.

He approached her and she whipped her head around. She glowered at him, as though he were her sworn enemy.

She raised both arms in the air. “So you’re finally coming over now?”

Brandon said nothing.

Harry the bartender put another glass of sparkling vodka in front of Liz. The alcoholic smell was overwhelming.

Brandon gave Harry a dirty look. “Why are you giving her glass number six?”

Harry pointed at him. “You’re a lightweight.” He jerked a thumb toward Liz. “She’s a heavyweight.”

Liz grabbed the glass and began chugging it down. Vodka spilled out of her mouth and dripped onto her chin, throat and then chest.

Brandon grabbed the glass from Liz’s hand.

Liz scowled. “Gimme back my drink!”

“You’ve had enough,” he said through gritted teeth.

She stood up. She was a tall woman, almost the same height as Brandon. “What do you care? I know you don’t care about me.” She pointed at the door. “All you care about is your precious Katie.”

She stumbled around, waving her hands in the air. “All I heard when we were going out was ‘Katie this’ and ‘Katie that.’” She was beginning to slur her words.

Brandon stood there and looked around. Other people stopped their conversations to take in the show.

Liz stopped her bizarre dance and stared into Brandon’s face. He could see the blood red in her pretty blue eyes.

She pointed to herself. “When is it my turn? I want to hear ‘Liz this’ and ‘Liz that.’”

Brandon did not reply.

Still pointing at herself, she screamed. “When is it my damn turn?!”

The staff and patrons were silent. They were now spellbound by the live dramatic performance.

Brandon felt his face burn up. “Liz, let’s talk about this outside.”

“No,” she shouted, stamping her feet. “I want to talk about this here.”

Brandon looked at her. He was ashamed at how he had treated Liz through the years. He knew he should have broken up with her to spare her the pain, but the relationship had been comfortable and familiar. He was ashamed to admit that he had been dreaming of Katie the whole time.

Liz’s hair was a complete mess. Her face was twisted like an evil clown’s. When she grew tired of waiting for an answer, she whirled around and stumbled toward the exit.

Brandon felt everyone’s eyes on him.

Liz pushed through the door and Brandon hurried after her.

A refreshing breeze engulfed him as he entered the brisk autumn night. He looked around for Liz and could not find her among the cars in the parking lot.

Then, he heard soft sweeping behind him. He turned around and found Liz sitting on the sidewalk just beside the entrance. A bright light was burning just above her.

He sat down next to her.

She was sobbing hard, her head in her hands.

For a moment, he considered putting a comforting hand on her shoulders, but he did not want to lead her on, or give her false hope. That was what he had been doing all along.

So, he let her cry.

Several cars rolled by on the highway, illuminating the pair as they passed.

After a while, Liz looked up at Brandon. Her face was smeared with mascara.

He patted her knee. “I’m sorry,” he said. “We can’t ever be together.”

Liz wiped her eyes. “Why not? Why do you love her so much anyway?”

Brandon looked serious. His eyes were big and his face reflective. “She was my first love. There’s always something special about your first love.”

Liz made a face. “But she hurt you so much.”

“And I hurt her too. But I know we love each other. And I have hope. I always knew that we were meant to be together.”

Liz shook her head. “That’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. There’s no such thing as soul mates or destiny or fated to be together. That’s just something that the Hallmark and Hollywood businesspeople made up so they could sell more cards and movies.”

Brandon said nothing. He looked at her in the artificial thing. Even though she was normally a very beautiful girl, she looked uglier to him somehow.

Liz said, “It’s stupid to believe in all that.”

Brandon shrugged. “Then I guess I must be stupid.”

Liz looked exasperated. “I don’t believe you feel nothing for me.” She looked determined. “And there’s only one way to find out.”

Before Brandon could figure out what she meant, Liz moved in and cupped her hands on the side of his face. She then kissed him hard on the lips.

Brandon tried to wiggle out of her grasp but she held on too tight. He stopped struggling when he realized this could be the best way to get rid of Liz forever. He did not kiss her back but continued to let her kiss him. Her lips tasted like the hard liquor that she had been drinking all night.

As they kissed, Brandon thought he saw someone standing in front of them. Then, he thought he heard the sound of something clicking. Then, he thought he saw a flash.

When they separated, Brandon scanned the area in front of them, but did not see anything.

He wanted to investigate, but Liz was all in his face.

She looked at him with relentless eyes. “Well?”

He shook his head. “Nothing.” He meant it.

Liz made a face that made her look like a demon. “You can go screw yourself.” She got up and marched off.